Twin Bridges construction detours starting April 5

Replacement of the southbound deck on the Twin Bridges will start April 5, meaning more than 100,000 drivers must again deal with weekend slowdowns on one of the busiest routes in the Capital Region.

As was the case last fall, when the northbound deck was replaced, no construction will be done on weekdays, state officials announced today.

The Twin Bridges, formally called the Thaddeus Kosciuszko Bridge, carries Interstate 87 over the Mohawk River between Albany County and Saratoga County.

Replacement of the southbound deck is the final phase of a $29 million construction project overseen by the New York State Department of Transportation.

The lead contractor is Lane Construction of Cheshire, Connecticut. Local subcontractors and suppliers include STS Steel in Schenectady, Fort Miller Co. in Schuylerville, Burt Cranes in Green Island, Harbour Roads Paving in Watervliet, Cranesville Concrete in Albany and Atlantic Testing in Albany.

The work will begin at 10 p.m. on Fridays and be cleared in time for the Monday morning commute. The project is expected to wrap up by Memorial Day weekend.

To reduce delays, traffic going south on the weekends will be diverted onto two lanes on the northbound span. Northbound traffic will be reduced to a single lane.

A movable concrete barrier, called a “zipper barrier,” will be used because it can be set up and taken down faster than a traditional barrier. An emergency tow truck will also be stationed near the bridge.

The detour is a change from last fall, when only one lane was open on the bridge in both directions. The DOT wasn’t able to have two lanes open last fall because of the poor condition of the southbound deck.

“The completion of this project will bring to an end major work on the bridges, which started several years ago with the replacement of the steel cables and painting,” according to the DOT. “It is estimated that the Twin Bridges will not need major rehabilitation for another 40 years.”

Drivers can keep track of the road conditions by checking traffic cameras at www.dot.ny.gov/twinbridges; calling the state’s toll-free traffic hotline, 511; downloading an app at www.511NY.org; and checking the DOT’s Facebook page at NorthwayTwinBridges.